Chapter 96: The False Trial

“So this is what immortals are supposed to be? You’re wrong. Our cadres can withstand tests like this—” The bespectacled man was righteously proclaiming, but before he could finish, a group of young men rushed past, their eyes shining, breaths quick and heavy.

“What are you doing? Get back here, all of you!” the bespectacled man shouted in anger.

But the young men paid him no heed, each lunging toward the women. With more men than women, they even fought over them, glaring at one another, on the verge of breaking into a brawl.

The bespectacled man’s face darkened in frustration.

A bunch of hopeless fools.

“Director Yuan, don’t be anxious. They’re simply blinded by lust,” Zhang Kai advised.

“Blinded by lust, indeed. These young people, one after another, have forgotten their morals. It’s shameful.” The bespectacled man cursed, his face pained.

“The so-called lust is not truly a lack of boundaries, but rather a failure to withstand deception. Look at the other men; aren’t they all behaving the same way?” Zhang Kai replied.

The bespectacled man paused, then noticed that Brother Wang, their leader, had reddened eyes. Yet Wang was clearly a seasoned veteran, used to high-class service, and had some resistance.

“Old Wang, what’s wrong? Are you alright?” the bespectacled man asked hurriedly.

Brother Wang’s throat moved; suddenly, he slapped himself hard, leaving five finger marks on his cheek. His eyes cleared, and he stepped back a few paces, his face filled with lingering fear. “Damn, these women are so damn seductive. I almost didn’t hold out.”

“So it’s not the young men’s fault, then?” the bespectacled man murmured.

“Exactly. That old man is casting a charm spell, muddling their minds. Truly underhanded tricks—such a fellow can become a mountain god?” Zhang Kai laughed.

“So what now? All our people have been taken, how are we supposed to proceed?” Brother Wang looked depressed.

Zhang Kai said, “Beauty is but a pink skeleton. If you see through the illusion and look straight at the truth, these young men can find their way back.”

With that, Zhang Kai extended his hand, forming a sword gesture, and traced a talisman in the air.

Instantly, a crimson talisman slowly took shape.

The talisman shimmered with spiritual light and carried a profound aura, a true spiritual charm.

With Zhang Kai’s current cultivation, tracing talismans in the void was trivial.

Yet in the eyes of the three old men, this scene left them stunned, disbelief written all over their faces.

In this age, someone could still draw talismans in the void!

Impossible. With such cultivation, in a world lacking spiritual energy, progress in cultivation was nearly impossible. No matter how gifted, one should not be able to cross such a chasm!

“Who are you? Who exactly are you?” the old men shouted, glaring at Zhang Kai.

Zhang Kai merely smiled, and with a wave, the talisman transformed into a sheet of red light, enveloping all the bewitched young men.

In an instant, the men who had been fighting for the women with glazed eyes and twisted expressions froze, looking at one another in confusion.

Then, they looked at the women.

What the hell!

All those young men, previously aroused and eager, were now suddenly frightened out of their wits.

The women they’d been fighting over were no beauties at all—some were black wild boars, some were skeletons, some tree stumps, some wild hens.

Good heavens!

Screams erupted, and the men scrambled to get away from these ghostly creatures, terrified beyond measure.

A few young men were so panicked their pants slipped down, and they crawled frantically across the ground to escape.

“Unbearable, truly unbearable,” the bespectacled man turned away, disappointed.

“They simply haven’t seen real action, Old Yuan. You devote yourself to work, pure-minded, but society is restless. I spent three years in Dongguan, five years in the Northeast, and nearly lost myself. These spell arts are impossible to guard against; they truly frighten the heart,” Brother Wang sighed.

Zhang Kai shot him a glance.

Damn, with that figure, who’d have thought he’d been so wild in his youth!

Honestly, a bit enviable.

Moments later, the group of men returned, faces flushed with shame, met by the scorn of the women.

But now, everyone could see these women were transformed animal skeletons, and their anger toward the old man grew.

Damn it, why not do it for real? To resort to trickery and deception—what a beast.

“Now, is there anything left to say?” Zhang Kai turned to the old man, proactively asking.

The old man glared at Zhang Kai, silent for a moment, then said, “I admit defeat. But my domain of extinction is not so easily trespassed. Even you cannot offend divine power. If you have the guts, come inside.”

With those words, the old man vanished from the bronze door.

The other two glanced at one another and followed.

Clearly, the three were united—three in one, complementing each other, jointly resisting the forbidden suppression.

Zhang Kai looked at Brother Wang and said, “Now the mask is off. Breaking the door is easy, but once inside, the threat grows. I wonder, Brother Wang, what’s the ultimate goal of this expedition? If anyone else has requirements, let’s speak openly so we can communicate.”

Brother Wang hesitated, glancing at the bespectacled man.

Seeing this, the bespectacled man knew he could no longer hide. He said directly, “Mr. Zhang, allow me to formally introduce myself: Yuan Feng, Southwest Division Chief of the Heavenly Empire’s Security Department.”

Zhang Kai had suspected as much and was not surprised. He smiled, “I knew this wasn’t just a private operation. If you have any thoughts, share them.”

“It’s like this: after several twists in this operation, we’ve gained the attention of higher-ups. Leadership hopes this expedition can serve as a pilot, accumulating experience for future actions. Any new discovery is precious experience for us. As for how far we go, we rely on expert advice. What our department can provide is manpower and equipment as needed,” Yuan Feng replied earnestly.

Zhang Kai nodded, “I see. So the goal is to gain as much as possible, ideally to clear the challenge, right?”

Yuan Feng smiled, “If you put it that way, yes.”

“Then let me offer my perspective. After observing, I can confirm that these three are the core of this forbidden zone, different from ordinary ones. They are three ghost-god level figures, united to form a joint forbidden domain. The mystery inside may only be revealed once we enter, but the danger is immense. For ordinary people, I recommend not going in.”

Yuan Feng nodded.

Zhang Kai continued, “That said, this forbidden zone is ruled by ghost gods, but there’s still room for us to resist. The five elements of heaven and earth counteract each other. Knowing our opponents, we can find ways to restrain them. I suggest your department gather specialists and prepare technological equipment capable of counteracting negative energy. Only then are we qualified to challenge the forbidden zone.”

He looked at Yuan Feng and said no more.

Since Yuan Feng had stated this was a pilot chosen by the authorities to gain experience facing the unknown, Zhang Kai’s role was diminished.

Otherwise, if he charged in alone, even if he succeeded, there would be no valuable experience.

This adventure was meant to boost people’s confidence in dealing with the extraordinary, not to showcase his own prowess.

Zhang Kai wanted to know: when faced with such circumstances, how much wisdom could ordinary people summon to confront ghost gods in forbidden domains.